


The Benefits of Naked Sleep

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: Criminal Minds
Genre: F/M, Humor, Romance, post-episode
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-10-11
Updated: 2014-10-11
Packaged: 2018-02-20 18:19:06
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,628
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2438348
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“I'm not opposed to some members of this team thrusting on me.”</p>
            </blockquote>





	The Benefits of Naked Sleep

**Author's Note:**

> Spoilers for The Fight.

“Where’s your bathroom?” Emily asked.

“It’s down the hall and to the right.” Mick said.

“It’s down the kinda creepy hall.” JJ added.

“Yeah thanks JJ cuz I wasn’t thinking about that at all.” Emily smirked. “Excuse me.”

She walked away. Hotch, who was taking to Prophet, Rossi, and Reid, excused himself and did the same. He leaned against the cool wall by the door, out of everyone’s line of vision, waiting for her to come out.

“Emily…” Hotch whispered.

“Jesus!” She bit back a scream that would’ve been a whopper. Emily grabbed her heart with one hand, punching Hotch’s arm with the arm.

“You scared the hell out of me. Seriously, you almost gave me a coronary.”

“I didn’t mean to.”

“I know that. What’s the matter?”

He didn’t say anything. He just led her by the hand back into the bathroom and wrapped his arms around her.

“You thought it wasn’t going to get back to me?” He whispered into the crook of her neck.

“That’s not what I thought.” Emily held him tight. “I just thought we’d talk about it later. I didn’t want to violate Rule #1.”

“Fuck the rules.”

“Oh really?”

“Emily, you could’ve been killed. You know that life-threatening situations override Rule #1.”

“I prefer not to think about life-threatening situations.”

“I shouldn’t have let you go out there. It was irresponsible.”

“Hotch, stop,” She pulled away, taking his face into her hands. “I'm alright. I may have to rub Rawson down with coconut oil now but I figure I owe him that much for saving my life and all.”

“What?” He looked at her with mortified hazel eyes. “What?”

“I'm just seeing if you're paying attention.” Emily replied.

“Cute, Prentiss.” He managed a grin. “And what's with the beer?”

“All these years you’ve been a profiler and I'm starting to think you know nothing about the art of deception. I've had three sips of beer and let it sweat in my hands. If I don’t drink people will be suspicious. I'm tired of pretending though…I need sleep.”

“We’ll wrap it up.” Hotch said as they walked back down the hall and into the party.

Rawson was right back in full flirt mode. Emily just laughed, telling him it was time to go.

“Egomania can continue promptly tomorrow at 8am.” She said. “I don't know but I find it slightly adorable.”

“Did you say you found me adorable?” Mick asked.

“No, I said I found it adorable. Goodnight, Mick, it’s been an adventure.”

“I can drive you back to the hotel if you'd like.” He said.

“It’s OK. I'm riding with my Unit Chief. Thanks though.” She smiled.

“Your Unit Chief?” His eyebrow went up.

“Mmm hmm.” Emily gave a small nod.

“He wears a nice suit.”

“Hotch is a spiffy fellow.”

“Your Unit Chief?”

“Goodnight, Mick.” Emily said.

“Goodnight, Emily Prentiss.”

Hotch and his team left the warehouse, got into their SUVs and headed back to the hotel.

“Tell me about Sam Cooper.” Emily said.

Hotch started the engine, turning down the hard rock that came blasting out of the speakers. Then he turned it off altogether.

“He’s one of the best, no doubt about that.”

“How long have you known him?”

“The entire time I've been in the BAU. It’s been twelve years for me so Sam’s been around for over 15 years. He’s always been passionate, fierce, and he gets the job done. It’s been quite a long while since we’ve worked together. It felt good.”

“Well he must be one of the best if the likes of Strauss let him pick his own team.” She said. “A Brit and an ex-con, that’s not exactly textbook FBI.”

“Yeah, but they’re the best at what they do. I picked my own team as well. There are at least 80 agents in the BAU…I took who I thought to be elite for myself. Jason and I weren't ashamed of that at all.”

“You didn’t pick all of us.” Emily replied. “Some of us were thrust upon you.”

“I'm not opposed to some members of this team thrusting on me.”

“Aaron…”

“Aaron?”

“That’s your name isn’t it?”

“Yes ma'am. You had a trial by fire, Prentiss, and much of it was Strauss’ fault. Despite all of that you were a perfect fit from the very beginning. Your knowledge of Arabic helped us with one of our most important cases. Without you, it could’ve ended another way. You were an excellent Agent and an asset to the team from the moment you walked through the door whether I realized it or not.”

“Is that a roundabout way of saying you were an ass?” Emily asked.

“OK, I was an ass.”

“It was a long time ago, Hotch. So much has happened since it’s a little silly to go back.”

Hotch nodded, pulling into the hotel’s parking lot. They got out of the car, running into Morgan and Reid waiting for the elevator.

“Where are JJ and Rossi?” Hotch asked. “I thought they were right behind us.”

“Don’t ask, don’t tell, and don’t know.” Morgan mumbled.

“Prophet was in prison?” Reid asked as they stepped onto the open elevator. “San Quentin?”

“He’ll be on the plane tomorrow.” Emily said. “You can ask him about it.”

“I don’t think I will.”

“I'm sure you won't be the first, Spencer.” Morgan said. He leaned back on the wall, closing his eyes. The bed was calling; Morgan was sure he’d be asleep before his head hit the pillow.

“He’s probably tired of talking about it.” Reid said.

“You’re probably right.” Hotch replied as they elevator doors opened.

They all walked down the hall, stopping and entering their respective rooms. Hotch put the night latch on the door and left his suit jacket on the hook in the hallway. He turned on all the lights, checked the bathroom and pulled open the doors on the closet. Sure that the room was empty, he didn’t know why it wouldn’t be, he removed both guns. Then he loosened his tie and took off his shoes. Hotch put on the radio and opened the adjoining door. He was glad to see Emily had already opened hers but he didn’t see her inside.

“Em?”

“I'm in the bathroom.”

“Alright. Are you thirsty?”

“No.”

“Well I'm going to undress.” He said.

“I like your thinking, Agent Hotchner.”

Smiling, he went back to his room and started to change. His grin only grew when Emily came and put her arms around his waist. He was still dressed in his slacks and tee shirt. Hotch had no idea what she was wearing but he hoped it was less than he was.

“You know what's on my mind right now?” She asked, kissing his neck.

“I can guess,” Hotch sighed. “Do you want me to guess?”

“Sleep.”

“Well I can tell you that wasn't going to be my guess.”

“I haven’t slept much in the past 72 hours and I just want to crawl into those sheets and dream. Do you know we’re going to get at least seven hours of sleep? I'm in heaven just thinking about it.”

“Well…”

“Naked sleep of course.” Emily said. She turned him around and kissed him. Hotch was quite happy to see her in his tee shirt and a pair of panties.

“You are so damn beautiful.” He murmured against her lips.

“Thank you honey.” She smiled. “Let’s get undressed.”

“I like undressed.” Hotch nodded.

She pulled the tee shirt over her head and then did the same for him. Hotch undid his slacks; now they were both only in underwear. Emily ran her hands down his chest; he closed his eyes.

“Are you sure that sleep is all that’s on your mind, baby?”

“Well…we’ll see.”

“I'm liking what I see right now.”

Emily turned off everything with one switch and pulled him toward bed. Hotch kissed her, holding her body close. It felt so good to be close. He tried not to focus on what could’ve happened tonight. They caught the Unsub and reunited a family. Tomorrow it was home again. In the next few days there would surely be another case. There was always another case.

“Do you think I would be sexy with a British accent?” Hotch asked.

Emily laughed. It was that addictive, joyous sound that Hotch couldn’t get enough of. They were spooning in the big bed, he sighed as he kissed her bare shoulder.

“I’ll take that as a no.”

“Don’t you dare do that. You’re sexy all the time so I can only imagine with a British accent I would have difficulty not tearing your clothes off with alarming regularity.”

“I like the sound of that.”

“How many rules would that violate?” Emily asked.

“When tearing off clothes is the subject, I'm a little lenient with the rules.” Hotch replied.

“Yeah right. I know you Aaron Hotchner; you're never lenient with the rules. It’s endearing though.”

“It is?”

“Mmm hmm.” Emily stroked his arm. “Go to sleep. We’ll get up a little early and um…”

“Yeah.” Hotch cuddled closer. This was always his favorite part of the day. When it was all said and done, no matter how insane it might get, Emily was there. Hotch wasn’t sure he would ever feel that kind of comfort and security again but he felt it immediately with her. “I'm a big fan of ‘and um…’”

Emily knew that. The promise of ‘and um…’ could pacify him at almost any time. Tonight it would do just enough for her to actually get close to eight hours of sleep. As a BAU Agent, Emily Prentiss knew what a miracle that was. In Hotch’s arms with very little clothing between them, it was priceless.

***

  



End file.
